I was about to post this as a Case for Collins, but then I realized that it is no longer a guilty pleasure to like Hall & Oates for most people, and that this is some indisputably great stuff. Now if this was Oates solo material, then I would have to reconsider. But what I’ve got for you is the song ‘Babs and Babs’ from Daryl Hall’s first solo album, Sacred Songs, from 1977. The album was produced by King Crimson’s Robert Fripp, who also played guitar on the album. Hall and Fripp had met in 1974 and fast became mates, and decided to work together somewhere down the road. Down the road became 1977 and Hall and Fripp recorded Hall’s first solo album and Fripp’s only solo album, Exposure, on which Hall was to be the main vocalist. Well, RCA, Hall’s record company was not keen on either release because they thought that it would taint Hall’s pop image that they were still creating along with Senor Oates. So, Hall’s solo album was shelved till 1980 and Fripp had to replace Hall’s vocals on his solo album. Hall’s vocals were restored to a 1985 remix of the album, and all versions with Hall and Hall-impersonators were released on Fripp’s 2006 2-CD version of Exposure. Wow. Anyway, dig this fuckin’ track and listen for the Frippertronics in the middle!
mp3 audio: Daryl Hall – Babs and Babs
and here’s a couple more from the album…
mp3 audio: Daryl Hall – NYCNY
mp3 audio: Daryl Hall – You Burn Me Up I’m A Cigarette
